


Yet another costume ball

by angylinni



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-04
Updated: 2011-08-04
Packaged: 2017-10-22 04:57:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/234038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angylinni/pseuds/angylinni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Professors Katie and Marcus are chaperoning a costume ball at Hogwarts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yet another costume ball

“I’m telling you, you’ll find something perfect for the party up here,” Alicia said, pushing open the heavy wooden doorway leading to the attic. “There are clothes in here probably from the Middle Ages. No one ever comes up here and every time I suggest to Ter’s Mum that we do some cleaning, she looks down her nose at me and walks off.”

Katie laughed, patting her friend on the back. “Good thing you love Terence so much, huh? I wouldn’t be able to put up with the pureblood snobbery that you have to deal with. Do they still ignore you like they did when you first moved in?”

Alicia rolled her eyes. “No, Ter really lit into them for that one, so it’s been slowly getting better. But I’m still the halfblood Gryffindor that stole their son from them,” she said, snorting under her breath. “If they only knew how hard he worked to even get me to date him, let alone marry him, they’d die!”

Katie murmured sympathetically as Alicia led them up the long, winding staircase that lay just behind the door. She knew firsthand how hard Terence Higgs had worked to get Alicia to even talk to him. Old feuds died hard and they had been bitter enemies on the Quidditch Pitch. You’d never know it to look at them now, but they’d definitely seen some rough times.

They walked up the last step and into the vast attic, filled with dusty trunks and armoires. Alicia turned to Katie with a wry grin. “Do you have any idea what you’d like to dress as?”

Katie stared at the vast space, boggled. “The theme is the Renaissance, so I could wear pretty much anything.”

Alicia nodded and led the way through the jumbled trunks towards the back of the room. “This is where the oldest stuff is. I found Amelia up here the other day, playing in one of the trunks; otherwise I wouldn’t have had a clue where to tell you to begin looking.”

“Tristan probably told her there was some sort of treasure up here,” Katie said, laughing.

Alicia sighed before joining her friend in laughter. “He’s a right terror, takes after his father,” she said affectionately. “Can you believe they’re almost ready to go to Hogwart’s themselves? I can’t believe it’s been nearly eleven years.”

“And they’ll probably sort Gryffindor and Slytherin, taking after their parents,” Katie said, winking. “Amelia will do lovely in Gryffindor, and I don’t envy Flint having Tristan.”

Alicia giggled. “He deserves him, after all, Marcus Flint is half the reason Terence got into so much trouble during school, the other half being Adrian Pucey.”

Katie nodded, laughing. “Do you remember the time they flew in through the window, screaming panty raid? I thought Ang was going to dismember them.”

Alicia snickered. “And how is the taciturn Mr. Flint? Still as trollish as he was in school?”

She'd turned back to the trunks, missing Katie's slight blush. "He's fine, I guess, I hardly ever see him to be honest. Once in a while, when one of my kids gets him in a snit and gets detention."

Alicia turned to look at her over her shoulder. "And mealtimes, right? Come on, spill some of the good stuff!"

Katie sighed dramatically. "What good stuff? I haven't heard anything, honestly."

Her friend shrugged, turning back to the trunk in front of her. "Didn't you use to think he was hot?"

Katie's cheeks turned a fiery red. "Alicia Higgs! I can't believe you just said that."

Alicia turned around, holding up a dress triumphantly. "What? Why are you blushing?" She walked closer, tilting her head. "Oh my god! Katie, you _do_ like him!"

Katie snatched the dress out of her hands and stomped over to the mirror hanging on the wall. "I do not!" she hissed, the flush on her cheeks spreading down her chest. She held up the dress. It hung down to the floor, but once she was in it, it should be the perfect length. The bodice was decorated with what looked like thousands of seed pearls strewn over it. The long, slit sleeves hung down nearly as long as the skirt. It was a deep purple that made her hair gleam and her eyes look even bluer. "This one is fine, Ali," she said without turning around.

"It'll make you look fat."

Katie spun around, glaring. Marcus stood leaning against one of the roof supports, a wide smirk on his face. "No one asked you!" she hissed icily.

He shrugged, walking over and rubbing the soft velvet between his fingers. "Probably moth eaten too."

Katie snatched the material out of his hand. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Terence's head appeared at the top of the stepladder. "He's with me."

"Hi honey," Alicia said, coming out from behind the long row of trunks, a knowing smile on her face. "Fancy meeting you up here."

Terence gave her a saucy grin. "Marcus needed something to wear for this thing they're having at Hogwarts next week. I figured there had to be something up here that would fit him."

"Only if one of your ancestors happened to be part troll," Katie said snidely.

Marcus gave her a sour grin. "Funny, Bell. You didn't seem to have much trouble finding something. I guess one of the Higgs ancestors was a skinny Harpy."

"I'm done here Ali, did you want to go and get some lunch?" Katie said, ignoring Marcus completely.

"Yeah," Alicia said, disentangling herself from Terence. "I'll see you for dinner, ok love?"

"Don't be late," he said, swatting her on the arse lightly.

Katie hurried down the ladder, tucking the dress carefully up under her arm. What an arse!

"One of these days mate, she's going to just hex your sorry arse," Terence said, shaking his head.

Marcus frowned. "She'd never dare."

"Keep pushing her buttons and she will."

"Are you going to help me find something to wear to this bloody thing or just nag me all damn day?" Marcus growled, turning around to glare at his friend.

~*~

Katie stood near the balcony doors, watching the couples dancing in the center of the Great Hall. It seemed like just yesterday that she herself had been out there, waltzing in the arms of Kevin Towler. Had she ever looked that young? The students now didn't have the threat of Voldemort's return hanging over their heads, didn't have to worry that a parent, or friend would turn up dead, a sickly green skull hanging in the sky. The only thing they had to worry about was whether or not the punch got spiked, or how many snogs they could manage to sneak in the rose bushes.

The rose bushes. A soft flush graced her cheeks as she remembered just how many times she'd found herself out there, pressed tightly against some boy, kissing like the world was going to end in the next ten minutes. She hastily tucked that thought back where it belonged and opened the doors, strolling outside.

"Took you long enough."

Katie watched as Marcus detached himself from the tree he'd been leaning on. "I was doing a circuit of the room," she said, brushing past him.

"That wasn't the plan," he said, falling into step with her, shortening his longer stride so that they walked abreast.

"It wasn't your plan you mean," Katie said, rolling her eyes. "Get over yourself Marcus. I'm not someone you can just order around."

A wide grin stretched across his face. She wasn't as unaffected by him as she maintained, the use of his first name was a dead giveaway that he was getting to her. "Shall we clear out the rosebushes? I saw at least five eager couples heading this way when I was waiting for you."

"Reliving your past?" Katie asked tartly.

He stopped and stared at her, arching his brow. His low chuckle rolled through the warm, spring air. "You're trying to tell me you never went out here?"

Katie turned to look at him. "Fishing?"

He shook his head, walking towards the rosebushes once more. "No, I could care less who you snogged twelve years ago."

"And now?"

He stopped once more, turning around to face her. Closing the distance between them, he stared down at her, so close that their chests were nearly touching. "Do you want me to care?"

Her mouth went dry and she couldn't seem to find enough air to fill her lungs. He smelled so amazing, and the banked heat in those deep, emerald eyes was nearly enough to make her knees buckle. "Should I?"

He chuckled, the warm sound wrapping around her like a cloak. "I asked you first."

Katie laughed shakily. "What are we, twelve? I'm not snogging anyone, are you happy now?"

He moved closer still, trailing his fingers up her arm, the skin beneath her thin underblouse tingling in its wake. "Not yet," he breathed, bending his head. His lips brushed against hers, his tongue tracing along the outline of her lips. "Open your mouth, Katie."

She did and his arm slid around her waist, pulling her closer even as the other wound through her hair, cupping the back of her head, tilting it as his lips covered hers. His tongue slipped into her mouth, teasing against hers. A low moan rose in her throat as her hands slid up his arms, finally winding around his neck as the kiss deepened further.

A discreet cough made them leap apart, Katie blushing furiously. Marcus spun around, glaring at the interloper. Headmaster Snape stepped out of the shadows, his expression bland. "Perhaps it would be best if I relieved you of your chaperoning duties for the rest of the evening. It seems that you are...otherwise occupied."

"But-" Katie stammered.

The Headmaster held up his hand. "I was young once myself, Katherine. Go, I'll clear the rosebushes...I've had years to learn all the good hiding places."

"C'mon, you know he'd love to explode a few of the bushes," Marcus said, grasping her hand and leading her back down the path. "Lucky for us, I know a few other secret places," Marcus said, giving her a sinful smile.

"I..." Oh Goddess, she was in trouble!


End file.
